Prostate cancer urine test could revolutionise screening in the UK

A groundbreaking urine test for prostate cancer is being hailed as a significantly more accurate alternative to the current PSA blood tests. Scientists believe this development could pave the way for routine prostate cancer screening in the UK, akin to the breast cancer screening programme already in place for women.

Prostate cancer remains the most common cancer among men in the UK, with more than 52,000 diagnoses annually and over 12,000 deaths linked to the disease. Calls for a national screening programme have intensified, particularly since high-profile cases such as Olympian Sir Chris Hoy, who revealed his battle with terminal prostate cancer last year.

The new urine test, developed by a research team led by Professor Rakesh Heer of Imperial College, focuses on identifying specific proteins shed by prostate tumours. Unlike PSA blood tests, which have long been criticised for their inaccuracy, this method demonstrated an area under the curve (AUC) score of 0.92 during recent trials. For comparison, PSA tests generally fall between 0.65 and 0.75 in terms of diagnostic precision.

What sets this test apart is its ability to not only detect the presence of prostate cancer with high accuracy but also assess the severity of the disease. This could minimise the number of unnecessary biopsies and reduce the risk of over-diagnosis—issues currently associated with PSA testing methods, which often identify indolent cancers that pose no immediate harm.

The £42 million Transform prostate cancer study is regarded by researchers as the most important prostate cancer diagnosis trial in decades. Over the next eight years, it will test this new diagnostic tool extensively in a clinical trial involving up to 300,000 British men. The research team has high hopes this test will deliver life-changing outcomes, enabling earlier diagnosis and improving prognoses across the board.

The benefits of this approach extend beyond its accuracy. The test’s non-invasive nature makes it painless and potentially suitable for at-home use, eliminating some of the barriers often associated with screening procedures. mRNA analysis from tumour cells, combined with artificial intelligence, has facilitated the identification of the most effective biomarkers for diagnosis.

As prostate cancer often exhibits no symptoms in its early stages, tools like this urine test could prove critical in catching the disease sooner. Health organisations recommend men consult their GP if they experience urinary problems, unexplained weight loss, fatigue, or blood in the urine or semen—symptoms that could indicate advanced prostate cancer.